This invention relates to a large-bracted dogwood cultivar, which is one of those developed in an extensive program of interspecific hybridization, in an effort to produce characteristics which are desirable in dogwood trees and the results have justified my efforts I believe.
The particular cultivar hereof, as one of a series of dogwood trees resulting from an extensive period of development, embodies characteristics which make the same commercially attractive and thereby having substantial potential for commercial distribution.
The interspecific hybridization in this instance is that of an unnamed seedling of Cornus kousa and a plant of Cornus florida known as `Hillenmeyer` which is unpatented.
Some of the characteristics which I have provided as a result of my program, and which this particular cultivar exhibits, include a tall, spreading habit and a much larger tree than certain low, spreading plants of which a companion plant Cornus.times.`Rutfan` (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,206) is exemplary. Other plants developed generally during the same period of time are more erect in habit and differ in possessing floral bracts of different size, shape, texture, and/or color.
This particular cultivar, is one of a group which will be referred to in general and in some instances, specifically, by comparison for identification and other purposes.
The instant cultivar which I have chosen to designate for commercial identification as `Rutlan`, is one of a number of dogwood cultivars which I have developed, and it is compared herein with certain of the others which are also designated by their commercial names, and plant patent numbers where applicable.
It will be understood that the parental species C. florida and C. kousa have been used as a basis for the cultivars referred to and thus many of the characteristics will be found as common, yet each in turn is distinctive in its own way.
I note that plants of this species combination have not been reported previously, by anyone other than myself.
Field plantings of the instant cultivar `Rutlan` in the vicinity of New Brunswick, N.J., do not reveal infestation by the dogwood borer nor have they exhibited "dogwood decline."
I am thus of the opinion that the plant `Rutlan`, hereof may be grown wherever plants of the parental species C. florida and/or C. kousa are grown and will exhibit the desirable characteristics and distinctions set forth herein.
In comparison with the upright habit of `Rutban`, (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,205) `Rutdan`, (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,204) and `Rutgan`, (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,207), plants of `Rutlan` are spreading in habit, flower earlier, have a distinctly lower number of true flowers per flower head, and exhibit floral bracts that do not overlap; in addition, the floral bracts of `Rutlan` provide a white floral display in the spring in contrast with the bracts of `Rutgan` which provide a spring floral display of pink bracts. The plant form of `Rutlan` is wider than tall in contrast with the erect (taller than wide) form of `Rutcan`, (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,210) in addition, the floral display of `Rutlan` typically begins two days earlier than that of `Rutcan`; also the white floral bracts of `Rutlan` are shorter and wider than those of `Rutcan`. The floral display of `Rutlan` typically starts only one day earlier than that of `Rutfan` (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,206) and the number of true flowers per flower head in these two hybrids is quite similar; however, plants of `Rutlan` are much larger and exhibit a height/width ratio that is higher than that for plants of `Rutfan` (approximately 0.82 versus 0.58); furthermore, the foliar bracts of `Rutlan` are longer and wider than those of `Rutfan`.
My new hybrid is highly sterile.
In order to summarize the various characteristics which are notable in my new cultivar, I have broken down the aspects of the same regarding tree shape, flower buds, bracts and other characteristics which will be set forth hereinafter in the specific succinct summaries noted below.
I have caused the cultivar of my new dogwood tree to be reproduced asexually by grafting, budding or rooting of stem cuttings and found that it retains its distinguishing characteristics from generation to generation.
When color is referred to, The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart is availed of and the colors are as nearly true as is possible to make the same in an illustration of this character, made by photographic means.